It has been observed that this seahorse changes color for various reasons such as camouflage, reaction to an attack, due to an illness, or during mating.

[6] H. zosterae can be distinguished from other western Atlantic species such as H. reidi and H. erectus thanks to its number of fin rays.

zosterae are found on the western end of the Atlantic Ocean, precisely in the coastal Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Florida Keys, Florida’s east coast, Old Tampa Bay, Lemon Bay, Pensacola, and Texas.

They are most common in bays during periods of high salinity, in coral reefs, floating vegetations, and between roots in mangrove swamps.

Males will tail wrestle and snap their heads toward each other and make clicking sounds during competition for access to a female.

Finally, in the last phase of the courtship behavior, the pair repeatedly rise in the water column.

The female inserts her ovipositor and transfers the eggs into the male's brood pouch during the final rise in the water column.

[6] Although females could technically mate with several males, seahorses form strict monogamous pair bonds for an entire season at least, a rare sight in fish species.

[9] Female seahorses remain faithful during the pregnancy by returning to the male's territory each day for an early morning greeting.

Adult dwarf seahorses are iteroparous, meaning that they have multiple reproductive cycles in the course of their lifetime, in this case 2 per month.

The breeding season starts in mid-February and ends in late October, depending on day length and water temperature.

[6][10] Each larva grows and develops in its own tissue pocket which is surrounded by a network of blood vessels.

[6] The growth of H. zosterae is relatively rapid, especially during the summer season; both male and female are fully grown after 3 to 4 months.

[6] Dwarf seahorses’ predators include tunas, dorados, skates and rays, crabs, and water birds.

Several Florida located fisheries’ core business lay around dwarf seahorses capture and trade.

[6] Humans have considered seahorses valuable and powerful for decades based on the magical myths surrounding these exotic creatures, and because males incubate eggs and give birth to their young.

However, numbers have decreased over subsequent years, most likely due to a reduction in the extent of seagrass beds, pollution, oil spills, and ocean acidification.